There has been a small firestorm over the cost of President Obama’s recent date with First Lady Michelle. The trip from DC to New York to grab dinner and see a Broadway Show is reported to have cost around $72,000 of the taxpayer’s money to provide security for the trip. Many have voiced their frustration over the high cost of the date given the recession that is hitting so many. But I beg to differ.
My question is, why isn’t the President doing this every weekend? After all, the government spending created work for many people–from the security personnel to the air traffic controllers to the restaurant where they ate to the reporters on the story and the bloggers writing about it now. Government spending is stimulus right? But if the government spent $24,000 every weekend this year that would only be about $1.2 million. So maybe Biden and his wife can tag along (after all, the Vice and Prez are burger buddies).
Actually, why not just have the government pay for dates for everyone in America every weekend? It would reduce American’s food and transportation costs, create jobs for countless people, and probably wind up helping solve the birth rate problem we face with an aging and declining population. It’s a near perfect plan, better than just building those boring turn lanes, duck ponds, and other infrastructure projects. And we’d be sure to get a Biden gaff or two out of the mix.
The only flaws I can see in the plan is the unsustainability of government spending draining wealth from America’s taxpayers, the increased debt we would suffer, the injustice of making the producers in society pay for the enjoyment of everyone else, and, of course, the Biden gaffs.
Update: A friend pointed me to this related video from The Onion. Also see Reason.TV’s stimulus as stimulis video.